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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

R. W. mRNAs. STREET SWBEPEB..

N0. 514,676. Patented Feb. 13,1894.

@Mme/M705 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. FURNAS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

STREET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,676, dated February 13.l 1894. Application fled Aprl17, 1893. Serial No. l170,776. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. FURNAs, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street- Cleaning Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts. Y My invention relates to street cleaning machines, and especially to Vone which conveys the dust, dirt and refuse on the street by a combined suction and blowing apparatus to a suitable receptacle, and if desired also conveys a portion of it to a furnace where it is consumed. The nature and novel features of the same willfully appear from the following description. Y

Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my entire street cleaning machine excepting the rear of the dirt Wagon which is broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same excepting the engine, the top of the front end of the dirt wagon and pipe connections therewith being out away. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section of the gathering hood. Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same at X-X Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same and the connection therewith of the blowing pipe. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the gathering hood and showing the pipes connected with the same.

1 is an ordinary traction engine having connected with its rear a platform 2, and hitched to this platform is a dirt wagon 3 whose bed is air tight. The rear of the platform 2 is supported by tie rods 4 on each side connected with the engine. Upon the platform 2 is mounted an ordinary exhaust fan 5 operated by the belt 6 from the fly wheel 7 of the engine. A pipe 8 connects the exhaust fan with the bed of the dirt wagon 3. This pipe may be inflexible but is preferably liexible and its connection with the dirt wagon bed is made readily detachable yet air tight. This may be done by means of the plate 9 secured to the wagon bed with the pipe extension 10 to which the pipe S is connected by a liange joint at 11, or by any other lsuitable means. 12 is a pipe preferably flexible and of comparatively small size similarly connected with `the wagon bed and entering the furnace of y the hood and suspended from a rigid bar 19 mounted in the platform frame 2. The links are of such length as to permit the hood to drag flat on the street when in operation. To enable the operator to lift the hood off the street when desired a rigid bar 2O which is connected by links 21 to` the hood by staples 22 is swung from the chain 23 which runs ove)l a pulley 24 mounted on the platform 2 and to the lower end of a lever 25. This lever is pivoted between its ends to the platform and the upper end extended to form a handle by operating which the chain 23 can be drawn and the hood be lifted. The lever 25 is provided with the ordinary spring bolt and rack for holding it in any position. Any other well known means may be used for supporting and lifting the hood 16. The top of the hood 16 is formed preferably of light boards forming sections flexibly connected byhinges 26 or otherwise and it is desired that such connections be as nearly air tight as possible. The object of constructing the hood in sections is to enable it to conform to the curvature of the surface of the street. Secured to the central section is a plate 27 preferably metallic to which a flexible pipe 28 is secured at 29 by an air tight joint, and the pipe 28 extends upward to the exhaust fan 5. The hood 16 is preferably three or four inches high, therebeing an apron 30 about three inches wide suspended from the top or boards at each side thereof to drag on the ground. This apron is preferably formed of leather, rubber or canvas with small metallic plates 3l secured to the front side thereof, so that the forward movement of the hood would cause the apron to drag with the plates next to the street as seen in Fig. 1. 32 are aprons dividing the hood into 'longitudinal IOO channels or passage ways, as seen in the dotted lines in Fig. 6. These aprons or partitions 32 extend from the outer end of the hood almost to the opening into the pipe 28. 33 are bent pipes connecting the pipes 15 to the middle channel of the hood 16 by an air tight joint. Through the middle channel air is forced and drawn into the pipe 28. The small passage ways on each side of this iniddle one are much smaller than it, preferably about three inches wide and through them air from the outside is drawn up the pipe 15 to take up whatever dust may be blown out of the middle channel.

The operation of my street cleaning niachine is as follows: It is transported by the traction engine, which operates the exhaust fan. This fan draws air laden with dust and dirt through the central channel in the hood and propels it into the air-tight dirt wagon bed. The air from thence is forced with great Velocity through the pipes 15 to the outer ends of the central channel in the hood and the blowing of the air from these pipes through the central channel co-operates with the suction of the exhaust fan to remove all kinds of refuse which the hood travels over. WVhatever dust is blown out of the central channel is drawn in through the outer channels and cannot escape. A portion of the air which is laden with light inflammable matter will escape from the dirt wagon bed through the pipe l2 into the furnace of the engine and be consumed, thus readily disposing of a portion of the matter taken up and at the same time preventing the air circulating through the pipes becoming too dust laden. It is preferable to make the pipe 12 of such size as compared with the other pipes, as to cause from live to ten per cent. of the air from the dirt wagon bed to pass through it. It is possible under certain conditions to dispense with the pipe 12 and it should be provided with a suitable cut off, whereby the passage of air through it could be regulated or stopped entirely when desired. All dirt and refuse which is collected by the cleanersettles to the bottom of the dirt wagon bed and on acconntof thsitisdesirable that the pipes should enter such Wagon bed at the top. The dirt is of course dry and as it collects in the bottom of the bed the compression ofthe air above wo nld pack it down Very compactly. Being dry it is light and a very large quantity of such material can be hauled away by one team of horses, hence the dirt wagon bed can be made extremely large and will hold the material taken from a large amount of street surface. The dirt wagon is so constructed that a tongue can be readily inserted in place and when the wagon bed becomes full of dirt the pipes are quickly disconnected from it, the tongue inserted and a team hauls it away. Another wagon is then attached to the machine and lled. To enable the operator to determine when the bed is full of material, it is well to have in the end of it a glass window, or means whereby he can ascertain the height of the dirt in the bed. The bed also should be provided at its rear or sides with a sliding door which is substantially airtight and by means of which the bed may be emptied of its contents, or any other well known means may be used to accomplish this end. When the machine is being transported without operation, by operating the lever 25 the hood is lifted up against the bottom of the platform 2.

The form of traction engine which l show, or wagon, or combination therewith of the platform, is of no material consequence and forms no part of my invention. A vertical engine can be used and the engine and platform be constructed together so as to greatly shorten my machine, and the exhaust fan and pipes could be more compactly located and the hood swung between the wheels of the engine and the platform, provided the material parts of the machine operate as herein shown and described. Such a construction would appear lighter and be far more compact than that I have shown in Fig. 1, but would require an engine constructed for the purpose of the machine. For certain kinds of work the pipe 12 might be entirely dispensed with. Any desirable form of exhaust fan may be used and any other mode of detachably con necting the pipes so as to render the connection airtight might be adopted, as the means of such connection forms no essential part of my invention. Exhaust fans may be connected with the blow pipes instead of with the exhaust pipe or if desired a fan may be connected with each of the exhaust pipes and blow pipes.

Whatl claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a pneumatic street cleaning machine, a long narrow gathering hood extended transversely with the line of movement of the machine and provided with atop close to and parallel with the surface of the street and aprons depending therefrom and adapted in conjunction with the street surface to form a transverse channel, and means of maintaining a current of air longitudinally through such channel, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a street cleaning machine, a dirt receptacle, a gathering hood adapted to contact `with the street and in conjunction with the street surface to form a laterally extending channel, a pipe extending from the central part oi such hood to the dirt receptacle, pipes extending from the dirt receptacle to the ends of such hood forming circuits through the hood, pipes and dirt receptacle, and means of maintaining a current of air through such circuits, substantially as shown and described.

3. A street cleaning machine consisting of an engine, a dirt receptacle detachably connected therewith, a hood, pipes so connecting the hood and dirt receptacle as to form a circuit through such hood, pipes and dirt receptacle, a pipe leading from such dirt recep- IOO IOS

IIO

tacle to a re box, and means for `forcing air through such pipes, substantially asshown. and described.

4. In a street cleaning machine, a gathering hood consisting of rigid sections exibly connected and aprons depending therefrom to contact with the street and form a channel 'in such hood for the passage of air, subst-anmain central channel with a small longitudinal channel on the side of such main central channel, and a pipe leadingfrom such dirt receptacle into the main central channel in such hood, substantially asshown and described.

7. In a street cleaning machine, a gathering hood, a dirt receptacle, an exhaust pipe leading from suchhood to such dirt receptacle, aprons dividing such hood into one main central channel, and a small longitudinal channel on each side of such main central channel, and a pipe leading from Such dirt receptacle to the main central channel in such hood, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of April, 1893.

' ROBERT W. FURNAS.

Witnesses:

V. H. LocKWooD, N. D. TILFORD. 

